Survey reveals Canadians are knowingly trashing potential cash

TORONTO, April 13 /CNW/ - As the nation sweeps into spring cleaning
action not all Canadians will be seeing green this year, according to a
new survey commissioned by Kijiji Canada. In fact, more than 40 per
cent of Canadians trash upwards of $400 by tossing unwanted household
items instead of selling them.

So, why are Canadians missing the opportunity to turn their clutter into
cash? The perceived difficulty associated with getting rid of clutter
may explain why nearly half of Canadians simply throw unwanted items
out with their regular garbage. In fact, the research reveals that, in
general, Canadians would be more inclined to get rid of their unwanted
items if there was an easy way to find someone who needed the item (54
per cent), a free and easy way to get rid of the item (47 per cent), or
the ability to get rid of the item without having to transport it (35
per cent).

"There's no reason to trash cash," said Jaclyn Ray, Kijiji Canada's
Clutter Wrangler. "Once you've taken the first and hardest step - which
is letting go of your unwanted items - online resources, like Kijiji.ca, make it easy to sell household items and turn unwanted treasures into
cash, not trash."

"It's also the greener way," she adds. "Selling or donating unwanted
items means the item is being reused or recycled and it's not ending up
in a landfill."

Turning clutter into cash

In order to turn clutter into cash, Kijiji's Clutter Wrangler Ray
suggests these tips:

Detach to de-clutter. More than 50 per cent of Canadians contend that they're "emotionally
attached" to their clutter, according to Kijiji's research. Really, ask
yourself: what is the worst possible thing that could happen if I
didn't have this item?

Seek out the obvious. Clutter, according to the survey, is likely hiding in the basement, a
closet, or the garage. In fact, 45 per cent of Canadians admit to
storing their clutter in their basement. Look for clothes, office
supplies, and collectibles that you no longer want or need.

Love it or list it. If you don't love it or need it, list it for sale using an online
classifieds site like Kijiji.ca. It's a great way to sell almost anything.

Pick a price and post a picture. Take a minute to compare the price of similar products to get a sense of
what your item is worth. If you're like 67 per cent of other Canadians
with clutter who say it's made up of a bit of everything, you may not
know its true value. Once you've priced the item, start listing. Always
include a photo of your item in your ad. After all, a picture is worth
1000 words or maybe even $1,000.

Start seeing green. Once your ad goes live, interested buyers will start to contact you. To
complete the transaction, meet in person at a mutually agreed upon
location.

With spring cleaning on the decline - only 48 per cent of Canadians plan
an annual spring cleaning, compared with 54 per cent in 2010 - Ray
suggests weekly or monthly de-cluttering instead. After all, the longer
someone holds on to an item, the harder it is to part with it.

Clutter by community

Who's holding on to the most clutter? Which community has the most
entrepreneurial spirit? When it comes to clutter behaviour, the survey
also reveals interesting differences from coast-to-coast:

East versus West. The Maritimes are the most cluttered, with 30 per cent
of Atlantic Canadians admitting to high levels of clutter.

There's a certain "je ne sais quoi" in Québec. Quebecers are the most
attached to their items, with 17 per cent reporting that they are very
emotionally connected to unwanted possessions.

Cashing in! Ontarians like to make the most profit, with 33 per cent of
them selling their items at garage sales, and 20 per cent selling their
items online.

Paying it forward? Ontarians are the most charitable, with 80 per cent
donating their items to charity.

Albertans have an entrepreneurial spirit. On average, Albertans make
more money than the rest of the country from selling unwanted items.
The average amount earned last year was $421; however 16 per cent of
Albertans made between $1,000 and $2,000 selling their unwanted items.

British Columbia and Ontario residents are fighting the most. Fifteen
per cent of residents in each province report that they argue
frequently or often with family or friends over clutter.

We're seeing environmental differences. Atlantic Canadians are most
likely to throw their items away (57 per cent), while Quebecers are the
least likely (32 per cent).

"According to additional research conducted globally, the average person
throws away 10 items each year which could have been sold instead,"
said Zachary Candelario, general manager, Kijiji Canada. "As Earth Day
approaches, we're reminding Canadians that there are no more excuses
for simply throwing things away. With 99 community sites across the
country and no posting fees, Kijiji is a free and
environmentally-friendly way for Canadians to turn their clutter into
cash. In fact, in the last year alone, Canadians have posted $2.1
trillion worth of ads on Kijiji.ca"

To start turning their clutter into cash, Canadians should visit www.kijiji.ca or download the Kijiji Canada iPhone app directly from the App Store.

Methodology

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between
April 1 to 4, 2011, on behalf of Kijiji. For this survey, a sample of
1,030 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online.
Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and political
composition to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of
the adult population according to Census data and to provide results
intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an
unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate
would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19
times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire
population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and
polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not
limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

About Kijiji Canada

Kijiji, which means "village" in Swahili, is the number one classifieds
site in Canada, connecting nine-million buyers and sellers each month. Kijiji.ca offers Canadians a free, easy, and local way to buy, sell, and trade
goods and services in their community. With local sites for more than
99 cities and towns across the country, Kijiji makes it easy for
Canadians to find exactly what they're looking for in their own
community. Kijiji Canada is part of the eBay Classifieds Group, the
global leader in online classifieds with a global presence in more than
20 countries and 1,000 cities.